


Her Bible, His Gun

by LadyAuroraStars



Category: From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series
Genre: Angst, Culebras do not have to be Monsters, Dark, Death, Drinking, Drug Use, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Grief/Mourning, On the Run, PTSD, Panic Attacks, Road Trips, Robbery, Season 2 rewrite sorta, Slow Burn, Spoilers for S2, This is going somewhere, Triggers, Violence, criminal activity, just not sure where yet, kidnappings, lots of blood, lots of hotel rooms
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-29
Updated: 2016-02-20
Packaged: 2018-04-17 23:07:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4684691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyAuroraStars/pseuds/LadyAuroraStars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"He had promised that nothing would happen to her, but he didn’t take into account everything that already had. He didn’t think before he went and let himself happen to her." SethKate fic. Seth and Kate on the run might not be as much fun as we all had imagined.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Drowning

_I do not own From Dawn Till Dusk The Series, nor do I own the characters in it, that includes the Gecko Brothers…. Although that makes me very sad._

* * *

 

 

 

 

It’s the motel door that causes her to finally stir from her other than pleasant dreams. The room is pitch black and silence slips through it, her left hand clutches the gun under her pillow. The only light is the clock reading three a.m. Her breaths stay shallow, and the darkness only has the comfort of making sure that she is constantly aware that those nightmares of dancers, blood, a pair of glasses, flying knives and family are her new reality. Her reality was now more frightening than her dreams. As her feet touch the shag carpet the light flicks on.

  
“Seth.” She breaths a sigh a relief. Standing there in the harsh hotel light is half a man, flying high. Disheveled and rough looking overall, a ripped jacket and bloody knuckles dress him, along with his sidekick of Jack Daniels.

“Who else would it be, Princess?” He asks hatefully, going towards the little bathroom.

  
“Oh, I don’t know. Surely not something or someone after us- or _you_.” She bites back, slipping the gun back under her pillow, it’s permeate home.

  
Seth doesn’t believe her when she tells him her fears that they are still being hunted, she holds no proof- it’s just a feeling and therefore, it’s not good enough. “You finally get some sleep?” He remarks before downing another mouthful of amber liquid. Kate doesn’t sleep anymore. It had been a month but it seemed she could not close her eyes without the images creeping back, her mind is constantly aware and constantly running. Running from what, she is not exactly sure. It’s because of her that they don’t stay put, she insists. Seth had offered to slow down, to plant themselves somewhere in the hot Mexico sun but she couldn’t do it. They don’t stay anywhere longer than a week. They keep moving because if they stop they both might drown.

  
“Shit.” He curses as her grabs his hand.

  
“ What happened?” She doesn’t want to ask but she does anyway.

  
“Some Jackass pissed me off, that’s what happened.” He huffs, as though he doesn’t want to tell her just as much as she didn’t want to ask.

  
She makes her way over to the bathroom and grabs his hand. “Don’t.” He says as she yanks his hand back. His knuckles are oozing blood and bruised, he carries scratches all up his arm. She runs his fist under cold water and he twitches as she does it, chugging back the last swallow of his drink which he then tosses at the tub. The loud _clink_ of the glass hitting the edge of the tub, and then the floor should make a nice scare for the neighbors.

  
This was her new routine, she no longer did school work and went to church events. She watches over this man who she could not find it in herself to stay angry with, no matter how much pain he put her through. He was broken, he’s more broken than he was before and she didn’t really think that was possible but here they are.

  
It’s when his body starts to droop that she grabs his arms and places him on the side of the tub. She grabs peroxide (That is used on a regular basis these days) and a bandage.

  
“ Fuck! Kate what the hell?” He practically growls and for the first time since she can remember this small act brings a smile to her face. “ What the fuck are you smiling at? You think this is funny?”

She grabs his hand, his hand that is three time the size of hers, “ I think it’s funny that your upset over a little sting. It’s not like you haven’t had worse Seth.” He does not find it funny, so she keeps on with his hand, and slowly his glazed over eyes start to close.

His hands are rough and tanned, hands that have seen more violence than she ever has, hands that have killed, and Kate tries not to let herself notice. But, suddenly it’s all she sees and she hates that. She hates that she feels pain when she looks at him but that he feels like home now, like safety even though he is clearly anything but. He had promised her that he would take care of them- he had promised that he would make sure she way okay. It seems a little ironic now, with her being the one constantly taking care of him. 

  
“ Gonna keep me here all night Princess? Or am I free to go?” He smirks down at her, his eyes barely open.

  
She grabs his hand and places her lips on the bandage. “ Yeah Gecko, you're free to go.” She sighs, as he rips his hand away from her. 

  
Seth pushes past her and falls onto one of the beds, the one she was already sleeping in. He folds himself around her pillow, and before she can blink his eyes are closed. She turns off the light and goes to sit beside him on the bed. She can barely make out his hand curled around the gun under that pillow, and as she goes to reach for it, she ghosts her fingers over his arm instead. Fresh track marks work their way up his forearm, and Kate slides her ring finger over each one. Seth will never help himself, she realizes and she can't let him drown, she might not want to believe in the situation or ever want to wake up to reality but she will if it means she can save Seth Gecko from drowning in his hidden hurt and sorrow. 


	2. Six Hours

_I don’t own FDTD:The Series- it’s depressing_

_Okay, this is short but I felt like it was needed._

 

* * *

 

**One Month Prior- after leaving the twister**

 

When Seth finally pulls over its just to get gas and two water bottles. Kate stays in the car, still covered in the gore from that place. They have been in the car for almost four hours and neither of them had spoken a word until about an hour ago when Seth announced the next place they see he has to stop for gas and to piss. The radio station stayed on with rock music in another language, that Kate was not fluent in.

  
At about two a.m Seth has yet to say anything to her and she has yet to do anything but stare out the window, her water bottle left unopened. Shock, this must be what shock feels like-what it _really_  feels like. Seth's eyes are glazed over with tiredness and his driving is becoming a bit too fast for her taste.

  
“Seth,” Her voice croaks, and stings as she speaks for the first time in hours, “I think we need to pull off. It’s late and we both need sleep.” He doesn’t answer her, doesn’t even look at her.

  
But, at the next motel they reach Seth pulls into the parking lot. It’s nothing like the Dew Drop, it’s small and looks like its pay by the hour in the middle of the long abandoned highway. Kate has no idea where they are, but she’s not even sure Seth does. She does not ask questions. A wad of cash comes out of his pocket, she doesn’t know where he got it or how but once again she keeps her questions to herself. He goes in by himself to get the room and comes back with the keys only half way glancing at her. Apparently he was just not going to acknowledge her.

  
She follows him into the room and as the door shuts she feels like she has taken her first breath since leaving that _place_ and suddenly it was all setting in, her daddy and Scott, Richie and the feeling of being laid out for sacrifice, the fact that she was alone with one of the most dangerous men she had ever met.

  
Seth lays onto one of the queen beds, and Kate slides into the bathroom in silence.

  
Smothered, it’s hard to breath and the air is hot. She clutches her chest and suddenly she can hear he fathers voice again. Her father asking her what she is doing here, why she is still with a Gecko! Why did she just not go back home? Because she doesn’t want to be all alone, and for some reason she felt more safe riding in that car with the eldest Gecko than she thinks she has in her entire life. It’s an odd feeling, when the man that kidnapped you suddenly becomes your safety.

  
The shower stings her skin causing it to turn red. She scrubs her scalp and skin as though it’s a burnt baking sheet. She scrubs her arms until they bleed, and she cries until her eyes are burning and red. The cheap motel shampoo clogs her smell, but it doesn’t change that she can still practically taste the smell of all of the bodies. She might close her eyes but it does not change the fact that every time she closes her eyes she sees her daddy begging her to kill him. Her whole family is gone but Scott is still alive, still walking the earth with her but he’s one of those things.

  
Seth is snoring when she comes out of the heat filled bathroom, once her skin is raw and her eyes are blurry. She wrapped in an itchy motel towel, she hesitated putting on her bloody clothes and decided they needed to stay far away from her. So, she climbs into the hard, lumpy motel bed and stares at the ceiling in silence until Seth wakes up screaming.

  
Seth found clothes in the lobby, thank God. She dressed in the jean shorts, and abandoned purple tank top, Seth showered changing into a pair of jeans and shirt, then he announced that they were leaving.

  
So, they started there venture farther into Mexico bright and early at six a.m.

  
“It’s all gonna be okay, right Seth?” She finally asks as her hair whips back and forth from the hot wind.

  
His hands tighten on the wheel, and he glances over at her, quickly turning back to the road. She knows he’s thinking about how he told her if she listened no one would get hurt, that he is blaming himself but here they are, somehow they are both still alive and barley scratched.

  
“Kate,” He starts, then stops himself glancing back at her, “I promise nothing will happen to you.”


	3. Fate, Destiny? God's plan?

He had promised that nothing would happen to her, but he didn’t take into account everything that already had. He didn’t think before he went and let himself happen to her.

They go from town to town in the weeks following the Twister. During the day they drive further into the desert, Seth teaches her how to shoot a gun, and it _surprises_ himwhen he doesn’t have to teach her how to throw a hearty punch. They listen to unfamiliar Latin music that Seth doesn’tunderstand, they eat tacos for almost every meal and Kate becomes accustomed to gas station coffee. She doesn’t condemn Seth when he steals a different car almost every day, and she even offers to drive the car while he holds some poor clerk at gun point. He protects her,  looks after her- teaches her to protect herself, without ever discussing what happened or their missing families.

Night time is a different story, they lay low and find themselves in little motels rooms with scratchy sheets and bright colored walls. Seth broods and often ends up drinking himself into a stupor. Kate however, uses her nights to research Culebra’s. She usually finds the closest library or bookstore and leaves with an odd look from whoever is working. She doesn’t tell Seth about her research, knowing he won’t approve but she’s determined to find a way to help Scott. Although, deep down she thinks she won’t ever find him again, doesn’t know if she’s brave enough to venture into the world- a world where she barley sleeps anymore. She’s not sure if Scott is even really Scott anymore, but she can’t give up hope that he is, and that he’s just lost.

Kate has spent hours, days trying to understand what had happened to them. She is desperate to understand why her? Why her family? Why would God send them to that Inn- the Inn she picked out? Why would it be the same place the Geckos would be? Why had Seth chosen them? Why had they successfully made it across the border? Why had it been her daddy and brother that were taken in such an awful way? Why was Tanner hell bent on her being a sacrifice? Why had her and Seth come out of it as the only two real survivors?

In Kate’s mind it was like everything that day had added up to that split second of her deciding to go with Seth Gecko further into Mexico. In her mind she could not understand any of it without saying that it had been fate, or destiny. She wasn’t sure that she could convince herself that it had been God’s plan for her life though- it’s too ugly, too sinful to say that God had planned all the bad, and all the death just so she could spend her days traveling through Mexico with one of the most dangerous men she has ever met.

She had asked Seth once and he told her it was all due to partly bad luck and that Snake bitch that had hypnotized his brother, and God had no part in any of that. She doesn’t mention fate or destiny, she doesn’t mention any of it again.

 

 

They are in a new town, small and quiet. Seth said it was lucky that they even had a bank, but they do- sitting right on the edge of town. The plan is to stake it out for a week, and then Seth would pull the job on his own once again, because he is still determined to not have Kate involved. They find a little motel that only has eight rooms, the walls are a bright purple, and the bed sheets are lime green.

When Kate gets back to the motel room from the local library she is greeted with two very distinct things, the sound of the television and a harsh, sour smell. Closing the door behind her, she places take out on the tiny table of the room, and eyes Seth who is sitting on the floor in front of the bed, glass bottle in hand. “Princess.” He nods at her.

“I brought tacos.” She says as she pulls a few out, placing them next to the gun that is casually laid out on the table.

She’s exhausted, but happy with her findings. The small library held books on lore, and she came across old pages filled with legends of Lords, and “snake people”. So, like any sane person she walked out of the library with the book under her jacket. She sits down at the table with the thick leather bound book, and her tacos. It’s all written in old Spanish, and Kate has a hard time understanding the writing but filled throughout the book are drawings of symbols, and strange lettering that she had never seen before.

Kate jumps when the book is suddenly plucked from her hands. She looks up to find Seth towering over her, “Give it back.” She protests, reaching for her book.

Seth simply walks away from her as he flips through the pages, “Seth!” She follows after him, he finally turns to her, and looks at her as he throws the book onto the bed.

“Katie, Katie.” He says while shaking his head. “No matter what you do, it’s not gonna do any good. They are not coming back, they are dead- _monsters_ now!” It feels like Kate has whiplash from how angry he has become in such a split second.

“I’m just trying to help Scott.” She says under her breath as she moves for the book.

She can’t help the way she cries out when Seth grabs her upper arms from behind tugging her back, and suddenly her back is pressed into the bathroom door. “You’re not fucking helping anyone. Your brother is a monster, he is searching out blood and _killing_ people Kate. The second you go looking for him I guarantee he will not hesitate before ripping your little throat out!” Seth growls at her, “You’re too good to help a monster.”

She tries pushing him away as he gets closer to her face, feeling his hands bruise her skin, “Isn’t that what I’m doing right now?” She snaps back at him.

As if her skin suddenly burns him Seth’s hand drop from her body quickly. She stays still watching for his sudden impulsive actions that seem to happen more often than before. The harshness in his voice is enough to unnerve her, but it’s the hate that he has for her in his eyes- the hate, that echoes in her own, makes her shake down to the core. It’s a hate that she’dnever seen painted on Seth- not for Richie or for those Culebras, not for Carlos or her daddy. It’s a pure hate that rips through him, and it’s a hate that comes from her not letting him drown in himself when he wants to. She keeps him above the dark, dangerous waters that he is so desperate to jump into, it’s something that he hates her for and she thinks she might be hating herself for it too.

“Maybe you should just leave” He whispers before turning back to the room, “You don’t belong here, you never will. I was stupid to have let you come along in the first place, you should be home.”

It may have seemed simple enough, he was telling her to leave, and she should just leave but the cruel trick of it all, is that they both know she no longer has a home outside of this dysfunctional one they’ve built together.

Kate stays frozen in her spot as she watches this man- the one who has destroyed everything in both of their lives- sit on the bed, hands shaking as he gathers the courage to once again, place the needle against his skin. Seth’s hands never shake, he proved that in the RV as he threatened to shoot Scott, his hands never shook until Richie left, and Kate appeared. He falls asleep quickly, his back to her. Kate spends the rest of the night at the little table searching for answers in the book she had brought back, but once again she comes up empty, still without answers of how to find or help Scott, and an ache in her chest when she realizes that maybe Seth was right all along.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy FDTD hiatus everyone! Are we all suffering? Me too. Its been a long time since updating but life comes along and so does writers block. I like to imagine that Seth Gecko is back to a sadness beard, and Richie has gotten a little "owner of all the culebras!" too crazy for his own good. I also have been making a mental check list of all the things Santanico would be doing- like going to a movie theater, and the beach! I imagine her being a total grandma in her time away, maybe Netflixing? 
> 
> Alright, so I am looking at it like this. Seth Gecko is Seth Gecko and we all love him, but Seth Gecko without Richie is also a very dark character. It's not all sunshine and rainbows, I think just about everyone in the fandom can agree with that. So, just a fair warning the darkness of my story will not get any lighter from here on out. 
> 
> At the point I am not seeing my story following the story line of season 2, its gonna be more of a lets follow SethKate and their crazy relationship around. That being said other FDTD characters are going to be in it.   
> Hope you all enjoy! Thanks to the most amazing beta, and someone I feel very blessed to have met through this great Fandom @zombiecazz! You rock.


	4. A world better than this one

As her adventure continues with Seth Gecko, Kate often thinks back to a defining moment of time. It was lying in a motel bed that she found some tiny speck of peace with everything that had occurred in her life since meeting the infamous Geckos. She often thinks back to it, and when she feels like giving up, she dwells on her feelings in that moment. It was the fourth motel that they stayed at, she was mourning heavily still and Seth was trying to keep his promise of making sure that nothing would happen to her, he wasn’t worried about his next hit, or keeping his distance from her.

It would be a funny image to an outsider, she was sure, the both of them laying stick still in a Queen bed in the dark. Kate’s shoulder barley pressed against Seth’s strong arm, and the only sound is their light breathing and the loud groaning of the air conditioning unit. The morning is close and Kate knows that she shouldn’t close her eyes to the nightmares but she also knows that Seth eyes are staring up at the popcorn ceiling with her, and it makes her wonder if his nightmares are as strong as her own.  Slowly Kate reaches for Seth Gecko’s hand, and grasps it in her own. He makes no movement other than tightly holding her hand in his much larger one.

In that moment Kate realized that they would be alright. She knew that as long as they balanced each other, life would be okay, and maybe surviving would not be so difficult. Lying in that rented bed next to Seth she felt more alive than she had in days- maybe even years. Maybe in that moment she had realized that ever since meeting him she had lived more than she ever had.

 

 

* * *

 

 

He finds her in the small church. The white paint is chipped, and its front door is off the hinges. Seth can’t tell if the building is abandoned, or if it’s empty due to it being the middle of the week. The afternoon sun fills the building, and instead of sitting on one of the old wooden pews, Kate is kneeling in front of the large, iron cross hanging on the wall. Her head is bowed, as though she is praying.

Seth walks down the middle of the pews quietly, and takes a seat in the front row. It’s an odd thing, since meeting Kate he has found himself in more churches than he has ever been in throughout his entire life. The first time he followed her into one, he was hesitant with the fear of being struck by lightning.

“How did I know I would find you here?” He asks her, watching her hands unfold and then refold in her lap, slight yellowing bruises decorate her left arm.

She doesn’t move to face him, knowing he was there already she mutters, “Probably the same reason I know that I can always find you at the closest bar. We know each other.”

 _We know each other,_ Seth thinks. They do, they know each other better than either intended when they set out from the Twister. They move around each other, searching for themselves- trying to discover who they are now that everything is different, but they only come up to face the other.

“I’m sorry- about last night.” He tells her. He had woken up with a deep regret for what he could barely remember, what he had said, and done to her while his eyes were dilated.

She places one of her small hands on the large wrought iron cross, and with a sigh she stands, and turns to face him. Her green eyes are filled with something he can’t find, but her face is straight, indifferent. “You should be.” She says, in a split second her green eyes find his brown ones but before he can register anything in them she walks past him.

He knows that she’s angry, and hurt- it makes him want to punch the person who hurt her in the face, and then he remembers that those harsh words came from his mouth, and that bruise on her arm is from him. “Kate!” He hollers following her out the door, and down the dirt road that she is walking.

“Where the hell are you going Kate?” He asks as he sprints to catch up with her.

“I need to be away from you right now.” She says without glancing at him, as she speed walks into the middle of nowhere.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry for what I said about Scott, and I’m sorry for what I did Kate! I’m sorry that your still putting up with my sorry ass- I should have just told you to go back home.” Seth practically shouts at her.

Kate comes to a sudden halt, causing Seth to almost run into her, she turns on him quickly. “We’re back to that again? Really? You threatening to tell me to leave. Is that what you want Seth, for me to go back home? Because if that’s the case tell me now and I will stop this. I will stop acting like, being here with you, watching you drown in your own sorrow is not killing me.”   _Because I feel things for you that I cannot explain_ , Kate thinks to herself.

Seth looks at how angry she is, the way her face is slightly pink, and the way her chest is pounding, and he realizes that it’s hard to imagine a life without her in it. He had found his place in her light, in her eyes and even though he would have denied it once, he knows that he’s a fucking bastard for not telling her to leave. He stays silent.

“My brother might be one of those things but I am not giving up on him. He is not dead, he is still here and I need to find him. I have to protect him. I will not forsake him the way you have Richie. I will not give up on him.” She says calmly now, but with a strong tone to her voice.

He nods his head, and almost feels helpless under Kate’s gaze. “He is not a monster.” She says glaring at him. She has so much more to say to him, but she’s not sure if she will ever be able to do that.

 Seth knows that she’s wrong he knows that it will one day break her when she realizes what kind of monster Scott is now- the same kind of monster that Richie is. But, he also knows that if Kate leaves he won’t have anything to live for anymore. She helps keep him strong, keep him fighting. The idea of Kate leaving and running after those things scares him half to death, the idea of her being in anymore danger.

“Okay.” Is all he says to her, and he follows a few steps behind her the entire walk back to the room.

 

* * *

 

 

Kate doesn’t sleep. She has tried, but she can’t and when she does find her eyes slowly drifting shut all she can see is her father, blood, the feeling of cold stone against her back, and screams- red, it’s always crimson red.  When Seth tells her sleeping pills might be a good idea she responds harshly, and tells him that maybe if she took eight she wouldn’t have to wake back up. She was sensitive to the subject of pills.

She doesn’t sleep, so she drives the get-away car most nights. The little bank just on the outskirt of town had been a good hit, and Kate had been driving for about four hours when she pulls over. There are no lights for miles, and Kate might not be able to sleep but she can’t keep her eyes focused or open for much longer, Seth eyes had closed a few miles back.

The car’s loud engine comes to a sudden halt as she turns the car off. Lying her seat back, Kate looks out the window staring out into the darkness, her eyes suddenly unable to close. Looking over at Seth still sleeping form, she quietly opens her door, and walks. The stars are bright in the Mexican desert, you can see every single one in the night’s sky. It reminds her of home.

It reminds her of nights camping out in the backyard with Scott, and roasting marshmallows. The difference? The desert gets chilled at night, a freezing wind coming to life. That, and she’s not here with Scott, she is here with the eldest Gecko brother, running fast so that they can never be caught.

She jumps when she feels the ghost of a hand on her bare shoulder. “Take this.” Seth murmurs, while placing a woven blanket over her shoulders. “I used to be fascinated by the stars when I was a kid.” He tells her, coming to stand beside her, and gazing up.

“Really?” She asks surprised at the idea of little Seth Gecko being obsessed with the stars in the sky above him.

He grins at her tone, “Yeah. My mom used to take me outside in the middle of the night, and tell me that there’s a whole world up there so much better than the one down here.” His voice is somber, and if Kate didn’t know any better she would have said tears clouded Seth’s voice.

She turns toward him, staring up into the sky with this look of childlike wonder on his face that seems a bit out of place on a professional thief’s face. He’s never mentioned his mother to her, but Kate almost wonders if mama Gecko wasn’t talking about space but rather Heaven- _A world better than this one._

“That’s really beautiful.” She remarks afraid to venture into the life of the Geckos growing up. “Scott used to love the stars, we used to camp out, and pretend we were in space in the dead of the night. My momma used to tell me that the stars where God’s way of pointing us home.”

With that Seth is suddenly Seth Gecko- professinal thief again, “It's late, we should be on the road. I’ll drive.”

Three hundred miles later Seth finds another town to his liking, and a hotel to hold up in.

 

 

* * *

 

After that Kate proves herself, she successfully plans her first robbery. It’s a good job too, and everything goes off without a hitch. It's a little beauty shop that they hit- late at night as they are closing. One employee in the shop, and Seth is the one that does the talking. She gets enough money that they should be alright for a while. She had done something, had accomplished something, and was not just depending on Seth. She was proud of herself, and even though he didn't say it Seth was proud of her too. 

Her relationship with Seth has cooled down, and they get back to their routine-  Seth running jobs, Kate researching, and helping with said jobs. No one gets hurt, they get the money. Each new town, new motel  looks the same as the last. They talk more, about things other than just surviving. _Who knew Seth had been married?_

Kate still doesn’t sleep, and so she takes care of Seth when he can’t take care of himself. She asks him why he shoots up, because she knows he wasn’t addicted when they first met. In turn he asks why she still picks up the scripture that’s in every motel drawer without fail. She tells him because she still wants to believe in her faith, _wants_ to _believe_ in something. He tells her that’s why he does it.

They become partners in surviving. Kate makes sure that he doesn’t drown, and Seth makes sure Kate has everything she needs. They make sure the other has something worth living for, they become _partners_ \- Partners in work, and in life. Seth feels like she’s a better partner than Richie ever was, and it’s an off feeling to think someone would be better than the Gecko brothers together. They have an understanding of each other that he and Richard never had. They hold a connection that has become stronger than the one that he and his brother had.

They work effortlessly together, Seth looks at her and feels things he knows that he shouldn’t. She feels like home, and something more. They keep each other strong again, until Kate ends up lying on a cold floor bleeding. 


	5. el adivino

“Kate!” Seth yells out in surprise as the large man grabs Kate from behind, holding her body close to his large one.

Kate visibly winces as the man runs a thick blade down the side of Kate’s cheek. “Your friend Carlito sent us. Turns out your brother has been making quite the name for himself, with that little _whore_.” The man chuckles as the blade runs down the soft swell of Kate’s chest. “Carlito wanted us to send you a little message,” He says, his tongue darting out to lick the curve of Kate’s ear.

The men holding Seth to the side of the building all chuckle as well, and he knows they are taunting him on purpose. He feels his pulse quicken, and a light sweat run over his skin in fear as the man who’s holding Kate swiftly tilts his head back, and then meets Seth’s eyes, his face completely transformed. Veins run all over his face, and sharp teeth protrude from his mouth.

Kate’s wide eyes meet Seth’s, and the fear on her face makes his blood run cold. This girl, his- his partner, the girl who has been taking care of him was only here because of him.

“Carlito wants you to know that you need to get your brother in order. You need to talk some sense into that _little shit_ before he conjures up a God that he cannot deal with. He also says to make sure this little light” he licks up the side of Kate's face, so Seth is under no delusion as to who the _little light_ is. “is safe- he will need her soon.” The Culebra rests his face on Kate’s shoulder, breathing her in, “So, you are going to find your brother and that little whore. Then, you are going to bring them back here, and return them to Carlito. This little one here is going to help us complete the puzzle, and the prophecy will get fulfilled.”

“What the fuck are you talking about? You tell Carlito that he can go fuck himself.” Seth growls as he tugs his arms away from the men that are twice his size. Pointing his finger angrily at the Culebra holding Kate, ”"If he wants to talk to me then he can talk to me himself! Better yet I think I will just rip your fucking head off.” Kate whimpers quietly as the large buffoon holding her yanks her up higher, his hand now around her throat. Her feet no longer touching the ground. “He figured you would say that.” The man smirks at the eldest Gecko, “So, he thought you might need a little convincing.”

Before Seth can blink the silver blade sinks into Kate’s side, and with a sharp cry her world starts to spin.

“Kate!” Seth shouts as he once again tries fighting off the Culebras holding him back.

“Carlito says to make sure you control your shithead little brother. He wants them both, and I promise if he doesn’t…” The man pauses long enough to slightly toss Kate’s body onto the ground as though she weighed nothing, “It will be her neck you need to worry about.”

Seth struggles to get his racing heart under control as he watches Kate lying unmoving, eyes closed on the cold floor with her blood pouring from her.

 

* * *

 

_The morning before._

 

One day when walking around another Mexican town that they had just arrived in, Kate comes to a stop in front of a little shop. A bright purple door dresses the entrance and the dark windows claim el adivino **.** Without hesitation, Kate makes her way inside, and instantly she feels it- a change in the air. A shift that is all too familiar to her, and she grasps the sharp stake that lives inside her bag. The little shop smells heavily of herbs and is full of clutter from wall to wall. Beautiful colorful stones adorn bookshelves, crystals hang from the ceiling and tea's intermingled with large unnamed glass bottles (filled with dark crimson liquid) fill a long glass case. Tarot cards, powders, crosses, and small statues decorate every nook and cranny of the shop.

“May I help you dear?” A thick Spanish accent asks from behind the glass counter.

A little woman dressed in a large red poncho, bright rings on every finger and long grey hair sits on a chair as she runs her hands over a deck of cards- over and over again. Her face is welcoming, and the smile that flashes across her face quickly relaxes Kate.

“Your sign says something about el adivino, I want to have someone look into my future.” Kate informs the woman, hoping that she hadn’t mistranslated the word, _Fortune Teller._

The woman looks Kate up and down slowly, as though she is searching her figure for something. “What answers are you seeking?” She asks in a way that makes Kate feel as though she is a small child.

Kate looks around the shop, at all of the things her father would have disapproved of and realizes that she’s ok with that because maybe for a moment she can believe in something outside of the life she was raised in.

“I’m not looking for anything in particular, just something about what might happen.” Kate tells the woman honestly.

“Well…” The woman stands, walking past Kate, and down the little hall that runs off into darkness.

Kate stands waiting on the woman to come back and when she does her face looks strained, and she quickly snaps, “Sígueme!” and Kate quickly follows after her.

Down the dark hall of beads and black walls they enter a small room with a little table in the middle of the room, with two candles keeping the room aglow. The woman sits and gestures for Kate to mimic her actions in the opposite chair. Kate notices the statue almost immediately when she sits down. Standing beside the far wall is a large colored statue that holds fresh roses, and has multiple bibles beside it. It’s almost as if she was with them in the room, the statue of Santanico Pandimonium is uncanny in its resemblance to the real life monster.

The woman notices her staring at the statue of the monster, who had taken so much from Kate, and says “La Diosa will keep watch and help me guide you through your future.”

Linking her hands with Kates the woman who remains nameless closes her eyes, “I will start with a look into your past- this will help us understand more about your future.”

Kate feels a chill run down her spine as she watches the woman’s eyes flicker behind her closed eyelids. “You have faced difficulties in your life recently. You were raised in religion- that’s very strong in you. Your Madre…” The woman twitches as she continues. “I see _hermanos_ … danger. They brought you danger, one is all seeing, and the other is all feeling. An altar… I see your past with an altar. Hurt, you still have not forgiven your past. ” Kates gasps as she watches the woman slips further into whatever kind of trance she is in, and Kate’s hands start to sting from the tight grip.

“I see…” The woman’s eyes open, meeting Kate. The blue eyes are wide, “You have seen her, La Diosa- _the Goddess_. She is the reason your current self is here.” The woman shakes her head lightly. “Your future is hazy, your current holds many decisions still unmade…I see a man, a destroyer of innocents. Flames, his life is decorated with flames. You will find your brother, but I must warn you the path is not clear. You are struggling child.” The woman closes her eyes once again, “You are having a hard time facing and coming to terms with your past. That makes your future harder to read.”

At this point, Kate can practically hear her own heartbeat, and she debates getting up and leaving but instead she waits quietly filled with anticipation.

“I see a lover. I see water, but with the water there is sangre. Lots of it. Hospital- you will find yourself in a hospital bed. I cannot tell if that is associated with all of the sangre. I see desamour. You will need to escape the one who will put your life in danger. I also see culebras- your life with them is not done dear.” As the woman tells Kate all of these things a series of events occur. The lights that surround Santanico’s statue light up, making Kate jump slightly. The woman’s eyes slowly open to reveal a deep gold color, her face becoming different, and when Kate gasps, pulling away with all of her strength, she finds herself unable to move- the woman’s holding her down with inhuman strength.

“The little girl filled with light will find herself in more danger than she has ever come across. The danger is with you even now.” Kate's heart races so fast it feels as though it’s going to come out of her chest.

As the Culebra in front of her pulls her hands off of Kate, and her eyes return to normal Kate realizes that she has been shaking uncontrollably. The woman in front of her- the culebra is still staring at Kate, but this time, her facial expression is more one of a concern than one possessed with future seeing.

“That was much unexpected. Do you have any questions for me?” The woman asks while slinging her fallen shawl over her frail looking shoulders.

Kate barely has been able to process what this woman had said let alone come up with questions for her. “You said my brother…that I would find him?”

The woman nods slowly, “I did. But, searching for a culebra that does not want to be found can bring danger to the hunter.” Her face crinkles, causing her once before beautiful skin to wrinkle, “How did you meet La Diosa?” She asks quietly, looking toward the large statue of Santanico.

Kate stands abruptly, knowing the legends of the goddess are not something that should be messed with, she had read about what these Culebras believe in her research. Kate heads for the door of the dark, little room and makes her way out of the hallway. In the little shop that had been empty when Kate entered where a handful of people and a young girl replaced the Culebra behind the counter.

“Kate!” The little woman says as she grabs Kate’s arm in the doorway of the shop, her yellow culebra eyes sparkling. “You must be warned. You are a part of the prophecy, one that is destined to come true once La Diosa is free of her chains. You must take shelter, for your light will bring them looking for you, as you search them out for blood.”

Kate gathers all of her strength to yank her arm out of the woman’s hand. “Thank you for your time,” She states harshly before hurrying herself down the little street.

The entire walk back to the motel she hears the woman’s voice over and over again, _the little girl filled with light will find herself in more danger than she has ever come across. The danger is with you even now._ What does that mean? She must be the girl filled with light, what danger? Is it with her now? How is that? Is she the darkness?

If Kate didn’t believe before, she did now. If that woman didn’t have powers then how did she know about Kates past? About Scott? And meeting Santanico, about the Gecko brothers? She even brought up her mamma. She had been a culebra even. How of all the places that Kate goes the little old woman that reads her future is a culebra?

As she enters the motel room, she is met with an empty room and the sound of running water. Peeling off her jeans, she changes into a pair of shorts and sits on the bed. Surveying the room she takes in the guns laying out on the table, the bag full of money, the needle that is sat on the bedside table, and the empty little baggy beside it. This room was filled with danger that Kate had been overlooking. But hadn't she known that when she asked to tag along with Seth? She knew that it was going to be dangerous, it's why Seth always assured her he would take care of them. Was that the danger the woman was speaking of? The danger of running from police, and living the life of a criminal? Or was the danger more than that?

Her head whips towards the bathroom door as Seth appears in the doorway, chest still damp from the shower with a towel wrapped around his waist. “You’re back.” He acknowledges, stepping towards his clothing sitting on the end of the bed.

His skin is one of the most beautiful colors Kate has ever seen, and she always has to stop herself from staring. Seth Gecko was not unattractive looking, she knew that the moment he held a gun to her family. Even now after everything, she can’t help but stare at his muscular arms, the way they flex and the way the flames creep up the side of his golden brown skin. _His life is decorated with flames_ , the woman had said of the man- the destroyer of innocents.

“Am I too hot for you Fuller? Just can’t help but stare?” Seth laughs as he grins in her direction.

Kate rolls her eyes away from him, and pulls the beds covers over herself, “Get over yourself Gecko.”

As Seth lays beside her, his arm wrapped around her waist in a comforting gesture while he drifts in and out of a bitter haze, Kate lays in bed staring at his arm contemplating what that woman had told her, and almost regrets having gone into the shop. _His life is decorated in flames_ , maybe Kate was thinking too much into it. It’s not like Seth’s life is decorated in flames, his arm is but not his life.

They had grown accustomed to sharing a bed. At first, it had been a little odd because they both made it that way- they made it awkward because of how they both reacted when they realized how not awkward it was. It was comforting to lay in bed next to the person who was fighting life with you. Kate still didn’t sleep much, not even Seth Gecko could scare away the awful dreams that filled her mind. She knows that Seth has bad dreams too, she is right there in the middle of the night when the drugs have let the bad reality through the walls of his mind again. She knows that when he grips her tighter at night it's because he needs to feel that she is there and that the world playing on the inside of his mind is really just a dream. She hears him moan and cry out for Richard. It often makes her wonder what he sees when she is the one having nightmares.

 

 


	6. Talking in your dreams

 

 

“The little girl filled with light will find herself in more danger than she has ever come across. The danger is with you even now.” The fortune telling Culebra tells her, slowly caressing Kate’s cheek.

“What does that mean? What danger?” Kate pleads for answers from the little woman.

“The danger of flames, my sweet.” The woman declares. “The flames that wrap around you.”

“What does that mean? I need a real answer, not a riddle!” Kate angrily grasps the women’s wrist, yanking her hand away from her face.

“Oh, Katie.” A light whisper breaths against the back of Kate’s ear, causing a chill to run down her spine, and she closes her eyes out of reflex. 

When she opens her eyes the woman is gone, and she is standing in the middle of a dark room. It’s oddly quiet and the air is thick with the smell of perfume and musk. The dim lights flickers across the velvet walls of the back room of the Titty Twister.

A smooth voice interrupts the quiet oppression of the room, “I told you there was a reason for it all. Our destiny is pulling us in the right direction Kate.”

Turning around she sees him. Sitting in an all too familiar spot, glasses gone, and a cigarette in hand as he watches her closely with a thoughtful look on his face.

 “Richie…” She says as her breathing starts to become heavy, as though someone was sitting on her chest.

This is the man that has turned her world upside down. This is the man that she places all of her hurt, and anger and blame on. He has it all. This is the man that Kate has dreamt of killing, stabbing a piece of wood through his heart. This is the man that Kate has dreamt of loving, if only a little. This is the man that has held Kate in her dream, as she took her last violent breath. This is the man that will always be her death.

“You and me, Kate. I have a feeling that’s how it will always end up.” He says, absentmindedly twirling the lit cigarette around in his fingers. “I used to think it was something else but Kate, something is coming and I think we are in the heart of it- you and me.”

“You’re not real.” Kate breathes out as she looks around the room once more. Noticing that the door that was in the corner months ago is no longer is there.

hs out as she looks around the room once more. Noticing that the door that was in the corner months ago is no longer is there.

“I could be real Kate. The prophecy wants us to be together. You’re my Queen Kate.” Richie says matter-of-factly. “But, if you let the flames engulf you the prophecy will not be fulfilled.”

“What prophecy? What are you talking about Richie?” Kate questions confused and upset.

“The prophecy that brought you to me, and me to her.” Is all Richie says before standing up, walking right past her, and flicking the lit cigarette over her head to the place he had been sitting.

Kate places a hand over her chest, almost gasping for air and watched as if in slow motion the long, red drapes catch ablaze. Smoke instantly fills the tiny room, and as Kate turns around she realizes that Richie is gone.

Full panic sets in and before Kate can slam a hand against the velvety wall, she can suddenly breathe again.

“Baby girl.” A silvery voice says, and there standing in front of her is Jennifer Fuller.

“Momma?” Kate asks, as her eyes instantly fill with tears, at the sight of her mother standing in front of her.

“Kate, baby.” Jennifer’s thick accent fills Kate’s head, causing the tears to spill down her face. “You cannot let them lead you away from that fire. With the fire comes the sea, and with the sea comes freedom and water to wash everything away.”

Kate looks into her mother’s eyes- the ones that Jennifer passed down to her, and starts shaking her head. “What?” Kate asks.

Kate feels like all she has are questions and a slight cramp in her right leg? With no answers and lots of tears. A part of her mind understood everything that was happening- remembers falling asleep with Seth, and knows that this is all just a really fucked up dream. But, another part of her wants to believe that this is real, that her dream is more than just something made up in her mind, and that her dream is trying to tell her something. Maybe it is? Maybe she just needs to pay harder attention.

Jennifer Fuller simply tucks a strand of her only daughter’s thick hair behind her ear, and says, “You are the light baby. You will make everything right again.”

“Princess!” A husky sounding voice makes Kate suddenly alert to her mother disappearing.

Kate knows the voice without having to think about it, as though that voice flows through her veins- this voice that now reminds her of home. This voice that lets her breath easy. This voice that causes confusion, and hurt.

She is in the middle of the RV, and Seth is sitting in the booth. It’s the infamous Seth Gecko, the one that has his face plastered on the nightly news, and is proud of who he is. The one that held Kate’s little family hostage-Suit, gun, and cocky grin included.

“Now, are you going to let all those people push you around?” He grins at her, his deep brown eyes filled with mischief. “Princess, you are too tough to just let people tell you what to do with your life.”

She goes and sits next to him, captivated by this Seth that is so different from the one that she shares a bed with yet is still the same man, this man in front of her happens to be the same one that she first locked eyes with. “I don’t even know what they are trying to tell me. I feel like I’m going insane. Do you know what it is?”

Seth looks down at the table and then back up at her with a very serious demeanor. “Princess, I have no idea in hell what they are talking about.” He says as he flips the gun over and over in his large hands, “Richie could probably tell you. He is all into that destiny, everything has a purpose bullshit. But, I know that you shouldn’t let it worry you this bad. If it’s your destiny it will happen either way, but if anyone could change their destiny it would be you.”

Kate reaches for his hand that sits atop the little table, and grasps on to it.

“But what if I don’t know what I am supposed to change?” She asks him, looking for an answer in this wiser Seth Gecko, the one that is sure of himself, the one that has not yet let the world’s secrets, and his losses frighten him.

“Princess you’ll figure it out. You’re Kate Fuller, and if there is anything I’ve learned about you Fullers it’s that you don’t let life fuck with you. You take the punches and they make you stronger. It’s the way you gotta face life kid.”

“Well, well. Isn’t that sweet. Little Miss Kate, hmm. So delicious, she sure is something Holy.” The sleazy voice makes the RV shake, and Kate suddenly cannot move her hands.

Tanner stands above her with a sickening grin, as he runs a knife down her arm. “You certainly are the light.” She can feel his heavy, stale breath on her cheek. “It would sure make the Gods happy to know I gave you them. To let the Gods hold you in their hands. But, I want to make sure I get to hold you too.”

 

Kate gasps as the air rushing to her lungs stings. Her legs are tangled in thin sheets, and a line of sweat beads on her hairline. The sun is shining through the little motel room, and she is suddenly thankful that she opened her eyes to find herself in this room. A bag of stolen money sitting in the corner, guns lining the kitchen table, a professional thief who kidnapped her family and became her lifeline is sitting in a chair in the corner nursing a cup of coffee. She knows that the coffee is black, and that the man drinking it is sober.

He is also watching her. His deep brown eyes meeting hers from across the small room, worry caressing every line on his face.

“You alright Princess?” He asks her, standing up and walking towards the little coffee maker to pour another cup for her.

“Fine.” She huffs while pulling herself out of the sheets, and leaning against the backboard giving him a small smile as he hands her the cup.

He sits down beside her on the bed, still watching her face for any kind of distressed sign. “You talked a lot in your sleep.” He comments before taking another gulp of coffee.

She looks over at the clock that flashes eight a.m, and notices Seth’s crumpled attire paired with dark under eyes causing her to wonder if she had kept him up all night. “That happens sometimes. Nothing new, you know that. You do it too.” She says defensively. 

The hot coffee burns on its way down her throat. She grimaces at the harsh taste of the bitter coffee.

“No, nothing new until you mentioned your mom.” He says quickly, as though he is scared to mention it.

Kate pulls her hair back out of her face and frowns- She’d almost forgotten her momma had made an appearance in her dreams. Dreams that for the first time since leaving the Twister had not involved her daddy, or Scott or horrible snake vampires.

She pulls her hand away as soon as she feels him reach for it, tucking it around her hot coffee mug.

“If you want to talk about it I’m right here Kate. I won’t even charge ya.” He grins at her, and stands up walking toward the bathroom door.

“Thanks for the coffee, Seth.” She tells him right before he closes the bathroom door.

When he shuts it she hears him say, “anytime babe.”

Closing her eyes, she relishes in the burn of the hot coffee in her mouth. Richie, Momma and Seth all in the same dream. Well, momma is rolling over in her grave for sure now.


End file.
